Chung Yeung Festival

Massive Graves at St. Raphael's Catholic Cemetery
Stock Photo ID: hkdigit-071019-111251

Equipment: Canon 850IS
Place: St. Raphael's Catholic Cemetery, Cheung Sha Wan, Sham Shu Po (深水埗 長沙灣 天主教聖辣法厄爾墳場)

Chung Yeung Festival(重陽節) falls on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar,is a traditional Chinese holiday, mentioned in writing since before the East Han period (thus, before AD 25). It is similar to Ching Ming Festival in the spring.

Traditionally, people go climbing on the Chung Yeung Festival. This custome come into story from the Han Dynasty tells of a man named Huan Ching (桓景) who was studying the immortal arts from the Taoist monk Fei Chang-fang (費長房). One Day Fei Chang-fang warned Huan Ching that, "On the ninth day of the ninth moon, great calamity will strike your home. You must quickly tell your family to sew a cloth bag and fill it with dogwood branches. This you must hold tightly in your hand and ascend to the mountain top and there drink chrysanthemum wine. If you do all of these things as instructed, you will be able to avoid disaster." Huan Ching heeded Fei Chang-fang's warning, leading his family to the mountain top on the specified day. When the family returned again at dusk, Huan Ching discovered, as the Taoist sage had warned, that all of his chickens, dogs, and sheep, and other animals had been violently slaughtered. Upon hearing this news, Fei Chang-fang went to Huan, telling him, "All of this has been done so that you may escape death!" And since that time, the customs of ascending high, drinking chrysanthemum wine, and carrying dogwood branches have all become part of the Chung Yeung Festival


Hong Kong People gathering outside St. Raphael's Cemetery Chapel (聖辣法厄爾墳場小堂) at St. Raphael's Catholic Cemetery (天主教聖辣法厄爾墳場) during Chung Yeung Festival(重陽節)
Stock Photo ID: hkdigit-071019-111251

Nowaday, instead of hiking, Hong Kong people visit the graves of their ancestors in the cemetery.That's mean we have two days a lunar year to worship our ancestors and a day for family reunion.